Unexpected Angel
by mariannewrgt
Summary: Elena is an american pianist who travels to London in her vacations. What she never expected was to fall in love with the hotel receptionist, Damon Salvatore. When she's back, she finds herself pregnant, and with no contact with the baby's father.
1. Chapter 1

Elena is an American pianist who travels to London to spend her summer vacations. What she never expected was to fall in love with the receptionist (and hotel owner), Damon Salvatore. When she comes back, Elena finds herself pregnant and with no contact with the baby's father.

_x_

"Caroline, it's just three weeks! Stop with all this drama." I spoke to my best friend Caroline, while her eyes were starting to fill with tears as we said goodbye in a strong hug in the airport.

"I'm going to miss you so much!", she cried.

"I know, and I'm going to miss you too, but I'll be back in three weeks, okay? Tell Bonnie I'll bring her a new perfume when she comes back.", I laughed. Bonnie was our roommate in college, and quickly became our best friend. She almost begged me to bring her a new perfume, since she loved perfumes and had a big collection of it. Bonnie was in Atlanta spending her vacations with her parents, and would return a week after me.

Caroline nodded her head, wiping another tear, and I gave another hug in Tyler, Caroline's boyfriend and Jeremy, Bonnie's boyfriend before going to the departure gate. Caroline and both of the boys were my best friends since kindergarten. During college, Tyler and Caroline stared dating, and Bonnie, who was our friend by the time, started dating Jeremy. Now, we were the "five inseparable friends of Juilliard School", as we called ourselves. "Until Elena finds a boyfriend nice enough to hang out with us", like Tyler used to say. He was like a big brother, always overprotective around me, and in the subject "boys" it wasn't different. The thing is that I wasn't very lucky in this subject of my life. Every time I started dating with someone he proved to be an alcoholic, drugs addict, or having some kind of weird habits (like growing beans in his socks), way before we could take any further step in the relationship. Both Jeremy and Caroline used to say this was because the guy wasn't cool enough to be with them. Tyler said it was because the guy wasn't good enough for me. Bonnie said it was because I was being preserved of breaking up with a thousand men, and when I found the right man for me, he would be the love of my life. I tried to believe in Bonnie's words, but how can a 22 year-old woman find true love when she can't even get to the second date step?

I was going to spend three deserved weeks in London, celebrating my graduation in Juilliard School. Away from all the noise, and all the stress of New York City. The last semester, especially, was plenty stressful. I had to work hard in the Final Concert, the concert all the students have to perform to graduate, and my pieces weren't any easy at all. La Campanella, by Liszt, was the hardest one. I spend almost four months studying the whole piece, only to listen Professor Saltzman to say that it was "too slow and without any expression". But in the end, everything went fine. And now I was going to spend a great time in London.

I decided to go there because the place reminded me of my father, my great mentor in music. We went in a trip together when I was five, exactly a year and a half before he died. We went to a piano concert by Barry Douglas, one of the best pianists in UK, and after that I decided that I wanted to become a pianist. This became our dream, and when we returned to US, I started to have piano lessons. A year and a half later, my dad died in a car accident. But I kept playing, because I knew I would make him proud. I started to practice several hours a day, and I was easily accepted in Juilliard School after the high school. Now, I wanted to see again the place where everything began, in a way to thank my father for pushing me in the right path.

I slept the entire flight, and woke up in a hurry to get ready for the landing.

The taxi drove me fast to the hotel, and soon I was standing at the beautiful entrance of Palace City Hotel. I walked slowly to the balcony to check in, dragging my heavy baggage.

"Hi.", I said, "I have a room reservation for three weeks. My name is Elena Gilbert."

"Hi." The man in the balcony answered in a cheerful mood. "Just wait a few seconds, please; I'll check if the room is ready for you."

"Okay", I answered absently.

My mind immediately ran to my friends in New York. It was the first summer that we wouldn't spend together. Last summer, Caroline, Tyler, Jeremy, Bonnie and I went to North Carolina in a beach trip. We had lots of fun. I even learned how to surf.

"Here is the key to your room. It's room number 927."

The receptionist's voice brought me back to the place I was. He deposited the key in my hand, but it magically slipped away to the floor. Before I could think, he reached the key in the floor and put it back in my hand.

"Thank you", I said, lifting my head to look at him for the first time, staring straight to the bluest and deepest eyes I had ever seen in my life.

_x_

This is the only the first chapter.

As you probably noticed, the story has almost nothing to do with the show. There's no supernatural stuff in it, but most of the characters have the same physical appearance, and almost the same personality they have in the show. By the way, Jeremy is not Elena's brother in this fic, and Elena's mother is still alive. We will know more about her in later chapters.

The next chapter will be posted as soon as possible.

So, have you enjoyed it? Please, let me know!

**Reviews, please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Thank you", I said, lifting my head to look at him for the first time, staring straight to the bluest and deepest eyes I had ever seen in my life.

"You're welcome, Miss Gilbert. Have a nice day.", he said with a smile. The most beautiful smile I had ever seen. In the most beautiful face as well.

"Have a nice day, you too.", I answered shyly and walked in the direction of the elevators.

I wasn't tired, once I have slept during the whole flight. But I wasn't in the mood to go out and walk around the hotel. I decided that the best to do was to turn on my notebook and send an e-mail to Caroline to tell her I was alive, before she started to freak out for not hearing from me.

Only a second after I turned on the computer, a message from Caroline arrived.

_Have you arrived yet? How was the flight? Are you okay?_

I laughed at Caroline's desperation and answered.

_Yes, I'm fine. I've just checked in. Relax. I just turned the computer on to send you a message so you wouldn't be worried and I'm going out to walk for a while. Xoxo._

_Allright. Have fun! Send news as soon as possible!_

I turned off my computer, dressed with comfortable clothes, put everything I needed in my backpack and took a deep breath before leaving the room. The first thing I wanted to do was to see St. James Park, which wasn't far from the Hotel.

I walked fast the few blocks to the park, and walked inside it, looking for a nice place to sit. When I found a small meadow with a lake next to it, I extended a towel I took from the Hotel and sat on it. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. The smell of the trees was absolutely delightful. Almost immediately my mind went to seventeen years ago, when I was five, in the same park with my father.

_Flashback_

"Daddy, why do close your eyes this way, tough you're not sleeping?" I asked, curiously, as my father was lying over a towel, on the grass, with his eyes closed.

"Come here. Sit by my side." he answered with his eyes still closed.

I sat where he said. "Close your eyes. Take a deep breath, and tell me what you smell."

I took a deep breath, and felt the most incredible smell of trees. The smell of the lake that was next to us. The smell of the whole meadow where we were.

"I smell the leaves from the trees. And the water. And the flowers. It's wonderful!" I exclaimed, opening my eyes to look at him.

"That's why I like to close my eyes. To smell the meadow. It's a good thing to do, especially when you're tired. The smell that comes from the trees is like a vitamin to your lungs. It can even make you live longer." he said, never opening his eyes.

"So I bet you're going to live forever, because you take the vitamin all the time!" I added.

"Maybe, little bird, maybe. But I definitely love opening my eyes to look to your beautiful little face." He said, finally opening his eyes to look at me.

I gave him a shy smile. "Daddy, can we live here forever?"

"Forever is a long time, little bird. You probably would get bored after some time."

"I would never get bored with you here. Not even in a million years!".

"Maybe not, but I think you would miss your friends Caroline, Tyler and Jeremy. They wouldn't live here with us. They have their families." he argued.

"Just the way I have you!" I answered, and he gave me a strong bear hug.

* * *

I opened my eyes quickly as I heard someone approaching.

"It's a very beautiful day, isn't it?" a male's voice said. I knew that voice from somewhere.

I lifted my head to see where the voice came from and realized that deep blue eyes were staring at me. The same blue eyes that I stared into earlier, in the Hotel reception.

I nodded at his question. I was one hundred percent sure it was the guy from the Hotel reception, but I needed to confirm. "You work at the Palace City Hotel, don't you?"

"Yes," he answered, taking a seat in the grass a few meters from the where I was. "You are Elena Gilbert, right?"

"Just Elena, please." I added with a smile.

"Okay. Elena, then." he laughed. "So, you're in London for work or pleasure?"

"Pleasure. Actually, I'm running away from work." I answered with a grimace. I didn't want to talk about work.

"Is your job that bad? What do you do?" he asked, looking curious.

"I just graduated in college. Piano. Classical music and stuff. But I've been giving lessons for a while. For kids." I smiled. Teaching was my favorite part of my life in the last three years. I loved my little students and I loved teaching.

"What college did you go?"

"Juilliard School. In New York City." I answered.

"This seems to be awesome. I bet you're a great pianist." he gave me a huge smile.

"I'm trying really hard to be. That's why I'm on vacations. The last semester in college was really hard, and I needed some rest before doing whatever I'm going to do now."

"You haven't decided yet? I mean, what do you wanted to do after graduation?"

"Not really. I always wanted to play. And two weeks ago I was invited to play with the Philharmonic Orchestra, but I really like to give lessons, and I can't do the same because of the schedule." I said, knowing that I was probably confusing him.

"What philharmonic?"

"New York Philharmonic."

"Wow. So you're a talented pianist from NYC who was just invited to play with the Philharmonic. I'm starting to feel bad about it." He said with a fake sad voice.

"Don't. Please." I asked, getting in the game.

We stayed in silence for a few moments, when I realized the sun was already going away. It was later than I thought.

"I should go, it's getting late and I don't wanna go back to the Hotel when it's night." I said.

"Okay" he answered. "I have to go, anyway. It's time to go back to work."

"You should not be at work?" I asked, thinking about the fact that he was working in the beginning of the afternoon, so he should be there probably until 6 p.m., not spending free time in the park.

"I can make my own schedule. Don't worry." he said with a smirk. "By the way, how long are you staying? In London, I mean." he added.

"Three weeks." I answered as I packed my things. "Why?"

"Nothing. I was just curious."

"Okay, then. Goodbye, Mr.…" I stopped when I realized I didn't know his name. I couldn't believe I spent several hours with someone without even knowing his name. "I think you never told me your name."

"I'm Damon. Damon Salvatore." he smiled.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Salvatore." I said embarrassed.

"Damon, please. It seems like I'm a forty year-old man when you call me Mr. Salvatore." he laughed.

"I have to go now. Goodbye, Damon." I smiled.

"Wait!" he exclaimed when I was a few meters away. He looked like he was deciding something. He took a deep breath, and continued, "Would you like to have dinner some time?"

He caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting for this. I was getting ready to say "No.", but then a little voice in my head said: why not? It was exactly what Bonnie would say. I had nothing to lose. So, why not?

"I think dinner would be great." I answered after a few seconds.

"Great." he smiled. "When is the best night for you?"

"I think I'm free at any night. You can schedule."

"Do you think tomorrow night is too soon?" he asked expectantly.

"I think tomorrow night is just perfect." I sad with a smile.

* * *

So, what do you guys think? Are you enjoying it?

**Let me know. Reviews, please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I had nothing to lose. I knew any relationship with me meant complication, but since I was going back to New York in three weeks, what could happen? Three weeks definitely wasn't long enough to fall in love with someone. I would go back to my life in NYC and forget anything that might have happened during this time. That's what I thought while I was getting dressed to have a date with Damon Salvatore. He would pick me up at 6 p.m. to drive me "to a nice place", he have said earlier.

I was startled by the sound of a message on the computer.

_Hey! How are you? Have you done something nice yet?_

I sighed as I thought about what to say to Caroline. I had only 10 minutes before Damon arrived, and couldn't talk to her right now. Should I tell her I met the hottest man in my life? I knew I would drive her crazy with this information. And should I tell her I was going in a date with him? I knew she wouldn't leave me alone if I told her, but she also wouldn't leave me alone if I told her I couldn't talk without a good reason. But also I didn't want to handle her expectations if I told her about Damon Salvatore.

_Everything is fine! I can't talk right now; I'm going out in a couple of minutes. I promise I'll talk to you later._

I decided to answer and waited for her response.

_Seriously? Where do you have to go with such a hurry?_

I sighed again. She definitely was seeing something already. So, I just gave up.

_I'm going to have dinner. I met someone, he's the hotel receptionist, and he asked me to dinner yesterday. _

_You WHAT? OMG, Elena! Tell me everything!_

I looked up to see how many time I still had. Two minutes. I answered quickly.

_We met in the park, yesterday. We talked, and he asked me to have dinner with him. I said yes, so I'm going now, otherwise I'll be late!_

_Wait! Just answer this: is he HOT?_

I sighed again. Of course she would ask me that question. She was Caroline.

_Yes. A lot._

Only a second later I saw a last message.

_OMG! Good luck, Elena! And tell me everything about your date later! Hope he'll kiss you on the next date!_

I closed my eyes as I thought about it. I knew it wasn't going to be a "next date". I never had a next date. Of course Damon Salvatore seemed to be really nice, but probably he would realize how boring I was before the food arrived. Or I would see he was a terrible person.

I left the elevator and snorted as soon as I saw him. Of course I knew he wasn't wear the hotel uniform, but I wasn't expecting to see him in a tuxedo. I frowned as I realized how underdressed I was, in my black overcoat.

As soon as he saw my presence, he gave a delightful smile. I smile back and walked towards him. He kissed my hand as a man from the past century would do.

"Good evening, Miss Gilbert. You look extremely beautiful." His smile widened. I blushed as I realized he wasn't joking.

"Hi." I answered sheepishly.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

I nodded before he walked me towards a beautiful - and probably expensive - black Mercedes. He probably has borrowed the car from some friend. A hotel receptionist couldn't be able to afford a car like this, I thought. He opened the door for me and I entered, feeling the delicious smell of roses in the car.

"It's for you." he said, putting a bouquet of roses in my lap. "I hope it's not too odd." he added, probably after he saw my disbelief expression.

"It's not odd. It's just… unexpected. Nobody ever gave me flowers before." I said shyly as he started driving. I was been caught completely off guard. His appearance. The roses. I was beginning to wonder what else he prepared for the night.

"Seriously?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. I nodded. "I can't figure why in the world no one ever gave you flowers. It's such a normal thing to do on a date." He said with a smirk. "Especially when the date is an astonishing girl like you."

I could feel the blood going straight to my cheeks. I turned to the window to hide the blush on my face.

"Hey." He caressed my cheek. "Don't hide it. The blush just makes you look more breathtaking."

"I'm not used to so many compliments in a single night." I admitted.

"It's not impossible to get used to it." he said with a smirk.

He parked the car in front of a sigh that said "Tom Aikens". I knew that restaurant. I've been there before, with my father, more than fifteen years ago. I couldn't remember much of it, but I was one-hundred percent sure that it was very, very expensive.

Damon stepped out of the car and rushed to open the door for me. My expression must have told what I was thinking, because he only rolled his eyes and took my hand in his, pulling me from the seat and walking us to the entrance of the restaurant.

"Good evening, Sir, do you have a reservation or would you like to see if there's a table available for two?" a tall man asked.

"I have a reservation. In the name of Damon Salvatore." Damon answered calmly. The man in front of us took a couple of minutes looking in what seemed to be a reservation list and smiled.

"Of course, Mr. Salvatore. Would please follow me?" we followed him through a hall to find our table. Damon never let go of my hand. I was barely aware of the fact that maybe it was a little too early for it, but I couldn't stop myself to think how good his hand felt on mine. His hand was warm, and protective. So I just enjoyed the moment. The waiter led us to a table next to the window and lit a few candles on it. He gave us the menu after we seated and left us alone for a moment.

"Damon," I whispered. "Isn't it too expensive for you? We don't have to be here. We still can go somewhere cheaper."

He laughed out loud and looked down to me with a smirk. I tried to figure out what was so funny in my words. It was unthinkable that a hotel receptionist could afford a restaurant like this one without getting in financial trouble. I barely knew him, and wasn't in love with him or anything, but I didn't want him getting in trouble because of me.

"You gotta be kidding me, Elena. You really think I'm only a hotel receptionist that doesn't have any money, don't you?"

"You are a hotel receptionist." I look up to see a large smile on his face. I could tell by his expression that I was missing something, probably an important detail that would be the explanation of everything. He has told me he could manage his own schedule. And then, his car. Now, the restaurant. No, he couldn't be only a receptionist. But I couldn't think of anything more. "Aren't you?" I added.

"Yes. But not only the receptionist." he laughed. He searched for something in his pocket and handed me what looked like a name tag.

_Damon Salvatore - Palace City Hotel Principal Manager_

"So you're the manager? Anything else you might want to tell me?" I frowned. I should have this figured earlier. It was almost obvious that he was someone with a lot of power in the Hotel.

"I'm the inheritor of the hotel. My father was the founder, but since he died and my mother doesn't like town, I'm the one who takes care of the business with my brother, Stefan."

At this moment, we were interrupted by the waiter. We ordered the food and kept talking.

"If you're technically the owner of the hotel, why do you work as a receptionist?" I asked curiously.

"I like working with people. I rather talk, and meet people instead of working with papers and numbers. My brother is the one for the numbers and papers. He likes it." he smiled.

"Are you and your brother close to each other?"

"Yes. We are like best friends since he was born. He's seven years younger than me. But even with the difference of age, we always have been together. When father died, he took me as a father, somehow."

"How old were you when he died?" I couldn't avoid asking it.

"Sixteen. Stefan was only nine, and my mother was devastated. She really loved him. But she moved on and raised us the best way possible. After college, I decided to work on the family business, and as soon my brother graduated, he joined me."

We were interrupted again by the food, but as soon as the waiter left the table, I decided to ask what was on my mind.

"I'm curious now. How old are you?" I asked with a smile.

"I'm twenty-nine." he laughed. I sighed. He was a lot older than I thought. He looked like he wasn't older than twenty-five or something. "Did you think I was younger or older?"

"Younger, of course!" I almost shouted. "You don't seem to be more than twenty-five."

"Now, I'm the one who's curious. How old are you?" he asked raising one eyebrow.

"I'm twenty-two." I answered sheepishly. He sighed, frowning. "What?" I asked.

"You're as young as my baby brother!" he laughed. "I'm dating a girl who's the same age as my brother. It's weird to think this way."

I rolled my eyes at his observation. "Do you have a problem with my age?" I teased.

"Of course not! If you're not underage, I'm cool with that." he laughed.

"Don't worry, I'm not." I smiled.

"So, tell about you. I told you about half of my life, now it's your turn." he asked.

"Well, I live in New York City since always. My parents got divorced when I was two years old, and I lived with my father until he died, when I was six. When he died, I had to move in with my mom. After high school, I moved to the campus because I couldn't bear living with my mother anymore. And then, I graduated, and now I'm looking for an apartment in NYC."

"I'm sorry about your father. You were even younger than my brother when you lost him." he said softly.

"It's okay. It's been a long time since then." I smiled, reassuring I was fine.

"Don't you have any siblings?" he asked.

"No. I always wanted them, but my mother never wanted to have other children, though she got married after my father died. But I have some really good friends that are just like my family. Tyler, Caroline e Jeremy have been friends since we used to wear diapers, and Bonnie shared a room in the campus with me and Caroline since then. We became best friends too. After a while, Caroline finally accepted having a date with Tyler, and they are together since then. Jeremy took the opportunity and started dating Bonnie as well. I love them."

"They seem to be very good friends." he said with a smile.

"They are."

"So, when did you decide you wanted to become a pianist?"

"I was five, and my father and I took a trip to London."

"Have you been in London before?" he interrupted me.

"Yes, and I have been even in this restaurant with my dad." he raised his eyebrow in surprise. "But I don't remember it very well. But continuing, he took me to a show by the pianist Barry Douglas, and I instantly fell in love with it."

"Wait, did you start to play the piano because you fell with Barry Douglas? The guy is not even cute!" he shouted affectedly.

"I didn't fell with Barry Douglas! I fell in love with the piano, played by Barry Douglas! I fell with the instrument." I laughed.

"And did you took a picture with Barry Douglas and put it on the piano?" he teased.

"No, but I started to have piano lessons when we went back to NYC. When Caroline figured I was going to play the piano, she decided she wanted to play something with me, so she asked her mom to buy her a violin. Tyler already had a crush on her by the time, and started having violin lessons with her. Jeremy saw us all learning instruments, he wanted too, but he wanted something different, so he took cello lessons. After high school, we were all accepted in Juilliard School, and we met Bonnie, and she's hanging out with us since then."

"And you haven't found a boyfriend-oboe-player or something during all this time?" he joked.

"Not really. I'm not very lucky in this subject." I answered. He raised his eyebrows, asking me to explain. "Usually, my relationships end before the second date. I get disappointed, upset, and then all happens all over again."

"Wait, so you never had an actual relationship? I mean, with more than one date, kisses and everything?" he asked with disbelief.

"I had a relationship. It lasted almost six months. His name was Matt. Matt Donovan, a fiddle player I had Music History class with. He was a nice guy, and things were going allright, until he started to want things from me that I wasn't ready to give. So, we broke up. Actually, he broke up with me."

"This Matt Donovan must be an idiot." he said with conviction.

The waiter came back to remove our dishes. We didn't want any dessert, so Damon just asked for the bill. He paid it and we left the restaurant, again with his hand on mine. I knew it meant complication, but I just couldn't help myself. His touch was so warm and soft that I couldn't imagine losing it.

A man was playing the accordion on the pavement, accompanied by two violins. The melody was slow and soft, and we stopped to listen to it. As we stood there, an old couple stared to dance with the melody. It was a very cute scene. They were probably very old, considering their white hair and their wrinkles. But I could tell they were in love by the way they looked to each other eyes while they swung.

"Would you like to dance?" Damon suddenly asked.

Before I could think, Damon turned me so I could stay in front of him. He put his hands around my waist, and without second thoughts, I put my arms around his neck, my head resting against his chest. We started to move slowly, just like the other couple. We stood there, without speaking, for what seem like hours, but suddenly, he raised his hand to lift my chin so I could look into his deep blue eyes. He leaned his face next to mine, our noses almost touching. I knew what was his next step. And I knew it meant complication, since I didn't want to fall in love with him. He didn't move a centimeter, but kept staring at me, like waiting for something. I leaned down, looking to my feet. Thinking how messed I was now. I wasn't supposed to meet anyone in London. I wasn't supposed to meet Damon Salvatore. And wasn't supposed to have a date with him. Definitely, wasn't supposed to fall in love with him. But as I glared back to him, realization hit me strongly. I was falling in love with Damon Salvatore, this complete stranger, who has entered my life in such an unexpected way.

"Damon," I started to say something. Before I could continue, he put his finger on my lips, hushing me.

"We don't need words now, Elena." he said, his eyes never leaving mine.

He cupped my face in his hands, and leaned even closer, until we were only a centimeter apart.

"You are the best thing that happened in my life in a long while." he said softly, before covering the rest of the distance between us and gently touching his lips on mine.

* * *

**That's it, guys! Sorry it took so long to post this chapter, but it's a long one, so I hope you be happy. By the way, I can't believe I only got three reviews last chapter! Please, let me know if you're enjoying it! Reviews are loved!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_Flashback_

"Damon," I started to say something. Before I could continue, he put his finger on my lips, hushing me.

"We don't need words now, Elena." he said, his eyes never leaving mine.

He cupped my face in his hands, and leaned even closer, until we were only a centimeter apart.

"You are the best thing that happened in my life in a long while." he said softly, before covering the rest of the distance between us and gently touching his lips on mine.

His lips on mine simply felt right. It was the best sensation I've ever had. The kiss was soft, never urgent, but so filled with passion that before I could think, I was wrapping my arms around his neck, bringing him closer, responding the kiss with the same passion. He barely touched his tongue on my bottom lip, begging for entrance, and I opened my mouth fully, allowing his tongue to come inside. Our tongues started battling for dominance, and he passed one of his hands around my waist, in a strong embrace, and the other ran to my hair. It wasn't like the kisses I've shared with Matt, violent and suffocating. This kiss was so filled with passion, and something that I couldn't recognize. Desire, maybe?

Damon pulled away only the distance necessary to let us breath, his arms never leaving my body. "Your lips have the sweetest taste I've tasted." he said, breathless. I rested my head on his chest.

"I wish I could stay just this way with you forever."

I looked up to him and smiled. "You have no idea how much I want to stay this way."

And it was true. If I could, I'd stay with him, that way, forever. I wasn't caring about how far we were going with all this, and how complicated things were now.

_Flashback End_

I sighed as I thought of the first kiss we shared, after our first date, after dancing to the sound of the accordion and the violins. It already passed a week after my first date with Damon Salvatore. We were basically going steady by now, seeing each other every day, having lunch and dinner together. Going to the park and kissing under the trees. It was magical. The feeling of his lips on mine was the best feeling in the world. The passion we shared every time we kissed. I was trying really hard not to think of what would happen to us after I went back to the US. The simple thought of being apart from him caused a pain almost physical. But I knew I had to do something about it. Or the pain would just increase as I was falling more and more in love with him.

I talked to Bonnie and Caroline about that, and they both agreed that I should enjoy the present, and think about the future later. Jeremy had the same thought. Tyler, though, had another opinion. He said that, if I was really in love with Damon, I had to make a decision. If I wanted to try to keep the relationship even with the distance, which probably would never work, in my opinion, or to put an end on the thing, before it caused even more pain for me and for Damon. I was pretty sure that a relationship with him, when I went back to the US, wouldn't work. I had my job, and my friends, and couldn't come to England all the time. Last time I came here was 17 years ago, with my father. He had his job, his family. As he mentioned a couple of days ago, when we talked about the trips we took in our lives, he only visited New York once. I knew I had to put break up with him soon, before it was something impossible to do. And that was what I was planning for today. I have told him I wanted to talk, so he took the day off.

The phone rang suddenly, making me jump.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Good morning sunshine." I could almost hear the smile in his voice. "Are you ready to leave your little rabbit hole?"

I rolled my eyes for the nickname he gave to my room. "Yes. I'm going down in a minute."

"I'll be waiting for you." he answered and hung up the phone.

I picked up by bag and walked to the elevator. It made its way quickly, and when it stop, and jumped to the floor immediately. I laughed at Damon's appearance when I saw him. He was wearing jeans, a black shirt and a gray hat. But this wasn't the funny thing. What made me laughed was the huge basket he was carrying, like the ones you see in romantic movies when teenage couples have picnics.

"What?" he asked, looking confused.

"What is that?" I pointed to the basket, laughing.

"That?" he looked to the basket. "It's a beautiful day outside, so I thought, 'Why don't take Elena to the outside of the town and have a romantic picnic with her?'"

I sighed. I was going to be a rough day, with all that romantic stuff. I wasn't counting with that.

He leaned to my side and kissed my forehead before taking my hand in his. It brought tears to my eyes the thought that I wouldn't have this anymore. I blinked my eyes, fighting the tears immediately, before he could see it.

He started driving to the outside of the town, as he said, and I realized that I've never been in this part of London. As the trees replaced the buildings in the road, I noticed how beautiful this side of London was.

We entered some kind of village, with small houses all around the road. He drove out of the main road, into a small street with green fields and small beautiful houses. He parked the car in front of a tree with a path next to it that lead to a wooden two-storey house.

"Don't tell me you have a house out of town." I laughed about the idea as we got out of the car.

"I don't. Actually, my mother lives here." he said with a smile.

I froze as I realized he was going to introduce me to his mother. This was beyond too much for me. How could I meet his mother when I was going to break up with him? I shook my head.

"Hey," he said, cupping my face to make me look into his eyes. "I'm sure she's just going to love you. Don't be nervous. Tomorrow is her birthday, and I thought she would love to see how happy I am."

"Damon," I started, but before I could complain, he crushed his lips on mine, silencing any word I was going to say. I automatically answered the kiss, going against anything I everything I knew I had to do.

He pulled away and took my hand, walking through the path to the house. He knocked on the door, with me be his side. A moment later, a woman, probably Damon's mother, that seemed to be no older than 50 years opened the door, giving a huge smile.

"Damon!" she looked beyond surprised. "It's so good to see you! I wasn't expecting you! Why didn't you warn me you were coming?"

"I wanted to make a surprise." he smiled casually.

"And you made." she opened her arms, giving him a tight hug. He hugged her back, but with his hand never leaving mine.

She pulled away and turned to look at me. "I see you brought a friend. Who's this beautiful girl?"

"Mom, I want to introduce you to Elena. My girlfriend." he said proudly. I blushed at the word "girlfriend". "Elena, this is my mother, Rosalyn Salvatore."

Rosalyn Salvatore was a black-haired woman, with deep blue eyes, just like his son. You could tell, by the way she looked at his son, that she really loved him, and would do anything in her power to keep him happy. I felt horrible that I was going to be the one to ruin Damon's joy today, but I knew I had to do it, or things would become even harder.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Salvatore." I gave her a shy smile.

"It's great to meet you, Elena." her smile was even bigger now. She seemed really happy to meet me, as if I was some kind of lost daughter or something. And then, suddenly she wrapped her arms around me, giving me a kiss on the cheek. "Let's go inside, son. Bring your girlfriend to the living room."

We entered the house, and as soon as we did it, I felt like I was home. Not my room in the campus, or the house I lived with my mother until then. But the house I shared with my father before his death. Our old house, just like Rosalyn's, smelled like flowers and chocolate. But the smell of this house was even better, because the smell of flowers and chocolate was mixed with the smell of the field in the outside. The walls were covered with pictures, most of them family pictures. Two of them captured my attention. The first of them, two boys riding their bikes on the field, the blue-eyed one, who I supposed to be Damon, probably fourteen years old; the other one, who I supposed to be his brother Stefan, probably seven years old. They looked very happy in their bikes. The other picture was a family picture, Damon's parents holding their hands and Stefan and Damon, probably eight and two years old, playing on the floor with cars. That picture showed all the happiness in that family before their father died.

"Sit here you two." Rosalyn pointed to a brown couch in the middle of the room. She took a sit on the couch in front of us. "So, how did you meet?" she asked, curiously.

Damon told her the whole story, since I thought he was the hotel receptionist and even mentioning our kiss after dancing with the old couple next to the restaurant. She asked a few things about me. I told about my parents and my friends. I told I was from New York and just graduated in music in Juilliard School. This last information seemed to please her.

"What instrument can you play, Elena?" she asked.

"I can play the Piano." I answered.

"Would you mind to play something for us? I really love music. I always wanted one the boys to learn to play something; Stefan got some piano lessons, but none of them never kept studying." she frowned at the thought.

"Do you have a piano?" I couldn't remember seeing a piano anywhere in the house. But the thought of playing made me smile. There was more than a week since the last time my fingers touched the keys, and I really hated the fact that the hotel didn't own a piano.

"I have a grandpiano at the music room. I used to play when I was younger, but never made a career. I got married really young, and then I had the boys. I never had time enough to practice, but I still play sometimes."

"I would love to play." I smiled. She walked us to a large room with an amazing view of the outside. The black grandpiano was right in the middle of the room.

I opened the piano and started to run my fingers through the keys. I had no trouble to play, though I had played nothing on the past week. I started to play the soft melody of my favorite Nocturne by Chopin, and followed with some pieces from the composer. When I finished the eighth song, I realized it was almost noon, and I was completely lost in time while I was playing.

"You play even better than I thought." Damon said, awed.

"Congratulations, Elena. You play not only with your hands, but with your heart, what makes the music even more beautiful." Rosalyn said in a soft voice.

Damon said to his mother we had to go, since we still wanted to have a picnic, she said goodbye to us asking us to come back soon.

We entered the car and Damon started driving calmly. "What did you think? Did you like her?" he asked, looking worried.

"Of course I did." I answered with a smile. "Your mother is a lovely person. She's just amazing."

"She really loved you." he said with a smile. "It wasn't this way with my last girlfriend."

"Really? She seems to be the kind of person who loves everybody." I said, doubting that Damon's mother could dislike someone.

"Yes. Her name was Katherine. My mother truly hated her since the first time she saw her. She said she was a bad woman, and I shouldn't be with her. I loved Katherine, and thought my mother was just being nosy. But in the end, I realized she was right."

"Why? Was she a serial-killer or something?" I said with a grin.

"No. But she started hanging out with some complicated guys in town. Violent people. Then, she started dating one of them. After a few weeks, I saw her kissing a guy in front of my apartment. When she saw me, she looked very embarrassed, and she said she was sorry that it happened. But I couldn't stand to it, and I broke up with her. She started threatening me, sending crazy messages to my phone. I just ignored it and she stopped when she realized I wasn't going to back down on my decision."

"I'm sorry for all this." I said. I couldn't imagine why a woman would do all this to a great man like Damon.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I have you now." he said with a smile, and reached his hand to take mine to his lips. He kissed my hand softly and kept holding my hand close to his face.

I sighed. He was making things even harder. His mother, his words, all was complicating things even more to my decision to break up with him.

He parked his car next to a small bridge over a small stream. We jumped out of the car and he grabbed the picnic basket. He extended a blue towel next to the stream and we sat on it. He served us a cup of hot chocolate from a thermos bottle and we ate a sandwich.

I knew we had to talk, and I knew I had to bring the subject, but it was almost impossible when he looked me with those eyes so filled with passion. I took a deep breath, before things could get even worst to both of us.

"Damon, we need to talk." I started.

"What do you want to talk?" he asked, curiously.

"I can't see you anymore." I said, feeling my eyes fill with tears.

* * *

**New chapter to you. This one is sad, isn't it? But I hope the next chapter will come in a few days, so don't worry! There's a lot of things to happen yet. Let me know what you think. Love it, hate it, like it, review, please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Damon, we need to talk." I started.

"What do you want to talk?" he asked, curiously.

"I can't see you anymore." I said, feeling my eyes fill with tears.

His expression passed from surprise to shock, and then it became sad. "You can't be serious." he said after a few seconds.

"I am." I said, feeling my tears rolling through my face. "I'm going back to US in two weeks, and I don't want it to get even more complicated than it already is. I'm too in love with you, and it already hurts to break up with you, but I can't imagine how hard things will get if this continue the way it is. It will only be more and more painful."

"Elena." he said, cupping my face with his hands. "Our relationship doesn't have to be ended." I shook my head, trying to make him understand he was wrong. "No. Listen to me. A lot of couples can have relationships living in different countries. It will work. We are going to make this work. Together."

"Damon, maybe it will work, for a few months, or even for a year. But then we'll figure that I can't come to England so often, because I have to work, and you can't go to the US just as well, because you also have your job, and your mother and everything here. It doesn't matter how hard we're going to try to make it work, it'll never work. So the best we can do is just realize we were a couple who met, and had a great time together for a while, and it was just awesome. But things started to get too serious, and we needed to stop dating before it became too hard to say goodbye." I said, while Damon looked at me with serious eyes.

"I really think we could make it work. But it's your decision, Elena." he said sadly. And then I saw the very last thing I could expect to. His eyes stared to fill with tears, and Damon started to cry, just like I was doing. I could tell he was in pain. He was in a lot of pain, and I was the reason why he was in pain. That was the worst part for me.

He stood up and carried in silence all the stuff he brought to what was supposed to be a romantic picnic. I followed him and got in the car.

He drove us back to the hotel without speaking a word. When he parked his black Mercedes in front of the hotel, I just said before leaving the car: "I know it's hard, Damon. It's hard for me too. But I'm doing this for the both of us. It's the best."

He didn't follow me as I thought he would. He didn't say anything else, he didn't scream, he didn't try to convince otherwise. He put the decision about us in my hands, and just respected what I had decided.

I stepped out of the elevator and almost ran straight to my room. I shut the door and threw myself on the bed, sobbing desperately, without bothering to change clothes.

I didn't realize I fell asleep until I opened my eyes to my room, already dark because of the night. Not wanting to go downstairs and take the risk of seeing Damon, I ordered some food in the room and spend the rest of the night alone in there.

After eating the food I ordered on the small table next to the couch in my room, and sat on the bed, thinking about how things got this messed up. And I started to cry again. I broke up with Damon on the day he decided to introduce me to his mother. She probably would get very disappointed with me for breaking the heart of his son. I decided to break up with him on the day that was supposed to be one of the most romantic and lovely days we would spend together. Thinking about that only made me cry even more. I remembered the way he usually looked at me, his eyes so filled with passion and love, and the way he looked at me when he put the decision about us in my hands, his eyes filled with tears. His handsome face so disturbed with sadness. I thought about my father and how he was always so sure about everything, and always had a solution for everything, and cried even more thinking about how much I missed him. How much I missed someone I could talk to, someone who would help me no matter what. And I realized I had this connection with Damon. I could talk about basically everything with him, and I knew I could trust him. But now I could talk to him anymore. I started to cry again and again as I came to realization that I would never feel his hand on mine again. That I would never see the twinkle on his blue eyes as he leaned to kiss me again. That I would never feel his lips on mine again.

I fell asleep soon, and when I woke up, I smiled for a second, thinking that I would see Damon really soon, but then realization hit me hard, making me remember that I had broke up with him the day before. I started to cry again, thinking about him and the way things ended between us, and spent the day in my bed, only leaving it to go to the bathroom, not wanting even to eat anything.

* * *

**I know I took a long time to post this, and this is a very short chapter, but I was really busy the past few weeks. It's being hard to find time to write, but I try to post the next chapter as soon as possible, maybe still in this week.**

**As usual, make me happy and review the chapter, please! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The following days passed in a blur. And when I noticed, I only had more two days in London. I spent most of the time of the past week inside my room, and still wasn't in the mood to go outside. Everything reminded me of Damon. The only thing I've done out of my room in the hotel was going to the park, and sitting on the same place I used to sit with my father when I was a kid. The same place Damon and I first talked. I didn't see Damon since he left me in the hotel the day I broke up with him. I was concerned about him, but I couldn't go after him after what I did, even though I wasn't going to change my mind about not dating him anymore.

I also didn't talk to any of my friends since the day after I broke up with Damon, when I talked to Caroline and told her what happened. She was totally pissed off because what I did, and she kept saying that things could work between me and Damon, and that I should change my mind and run after him and beg for his forgiveness. Caroline was the typical optimist-romantic girl. But that was no coming back on my decision.

I was dressing when my phone rang. The id said it was the last person I was expecting to call me. Bonnie. She should be back in New York by now. And I remembered she was going to call me when she arrived. Bonnie doesn't know about Damon or anything, I thought to myself before I pressed the button to answer the call.

"Hi Bonnie." I said to her. My voice trembled a little.

"Elena, are you okay?" I knew, because of the way she asked, that she noticed I wasn't okay. I didn't want her to know how bad I was feeling, but when she asked if I was fine, it was like she was pulling the trigger for my eyes to fill with tears.

"No." I answered, starting to cry.

"Elena, what happened?" she asked, concerned. I couldn't hide from Bonnie. Though she knew me only for a few years, it was like she knew me forever. I took a deep breath, and cleared my throat before I spoke.

I told her everything, beginning with the moment I first saw Damon's blue eyes when I checked-in in the hotel reception and finished with my break up with him and the entire week I spent almost totally inside the room. As I spoke, more tears rolled through my face. Bonnie didn't say a word while I talked, and when I finished, I wondered if she was still on the line.

"Bon, are you still there?" I asked after a moment of silence passed between us.

"Yes, I'm here. I'm just still trying to find the right thing to say." she answered.

"You don't have to say anything, Bonnie." I sighed. "There's no coming back. But still I'm in so much pain that I can't even find the strength to go outside and do what I was going to do before I met Damon."

"Elena, can I ask you something?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course." I said.

"Do you love him?" she asked. I thought about her question. I had never asked myself if loved Damon Salvatore. Of course I loved to be in his company. And I loved to feel the touch of hand on mine. And the feeling of his lips over mine was indescribable. But did I love him? My father used to say that I'll realize you love someone when you're not with them. If you don't miss them at all, don't worry. But if you do, you love them. I was missing Damon. It wasn't only about kissing him. It wasn't only about attraction. But being apart from him was causing a pain that was almost physical. I didn't want to do anything. All I wanted to do was run to his arms and be with him again. I love him, I realized. And this realization only caused even more pain.

"I do." I said as more tears flooded my eyes. "I love him, Bonnie. And it just makes everything even more painful."

"Elena, stop thinking about the consequences of everything for once in your life." Bonnie said resolutely. "You're in love with this man, and you're just letting in go away. You're letting it go away because you're afraid of what is going to happen later. Let the future come when it's time for it to come. Let the fear go away, and surrender yourself to this passion, to this love, Elena! You guys can think about the future later. Together. But if you don't go after Damon, and don't let yourself be happy without worrying about the consequences of it at least once, you're going to spend the rest of your life wondering what could have happened if you at least tried to make things work between the two of you."

Bonnie's words hit me strong. She was completely right. I wasn't with Damon now because I was scared about the future. But actually, all I wanted was to be with him right now.

"Bonnie, I think I have to go now. I need to find someone before it's too late."

"Good luck, Elena. You know you can count on me."

"I know. Thanks." I turned off the phone.

I took a deep breath as I thought about what I was going to do. I had to find Damon no matter what. I had no idea where he was, and had no idea about how to find him. I didn't see him working on the hotel reception since the day we visited his mother. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. I was going to find him. Maybe someone in the reception would know anything about him. I grabbed my purse and almost ran to the elevator.

I stepped out of the elevator and walked to the reception.

"Good morning. How can I help you?" said a masculine voice. I looked up to see a face that reminded me of someone, but I couldn't figure out whom.

"Hi." I said, trying to sound casual. I didn't want the man in front of me to notice how desperate I was in the moment. "I'm looking for Mr. Damon Salvatore. Do you have any idea how I can find him?"

"Mr. Salvatore took the week off" he said. I knew Damon probably took the week off or something, because he wasn't here. "I don't think he's available right now. But can I do something for you?" he asked, seeming concerned by the way I was looking at him.

Maybe it was the way he was looking at me, or maybe the way he asked I he could help me, but suddenly the realization hit me.

"You're Stefan Salvatore." I said, remembering the little boy on the family pictures in Rosalyn Salvatore's house. He didn't change much as the years passed. The color of his hair was still the same. And his eyes were the same as well.

"Yes, ma'am. And you are?" he asked, confused.

"I'm Elena Gilbert." I said, wondering if his brother has mentioned me to his brother.

"So Damon didn't exaggerate when he said you were beautiful." he said after a moment of silence.

Before I could answer, he put a sign saying "closed" in front of him on the desk and walked towards me, indicating a couch with his head. We sit on the couch and I waited for him to speak.

"I've never seen my brother so happy like I saw him while you were together." he said. "And I've never seen my brother in so much pain like I saw him the day after you broke up with him."

I could see he was telling the truth. I felt my eyes filling up with tears again.

"I know." I said. "And I also know that I'm the reason why he'd been suffering that much. But that's why I have to find him. I want to make it up to him."

"I'm sorry to say that, but Damon is not in town."

"Where is he?" I said, knowing that panic was filling my voice.

"I don't know." he said, casually.

I started to sob at this moment. I couldn't believe that I was going back to home without apologizing with Damon. Without letting him know how much I have missed him, and how much I wanted to be with him on the past days.

"But I think I can help you, Ms. Gilbert." he said. "Knowing my brother, he would probably be in some pub next to my mother's house. But today there's a small party next to my mother's house. It's the birthday Mrs. Stone granddaughter, and our family is very close to them. So I would bet Damon is trying to handle this whole thing between the two of you by helping them out, since he loves kids, and usually gets really happy when he's with the Stones."

"How can I get there?" I asked desperately.

"I was going there later, just to give the little girl a small gift." he said. "But I think I can go earlier, and give you a ride, if you want just a couple of minutes while I find someone else to be on the reception in my place."

"I can't find words enough to thank you, Mr. Salvatore." I said, smiling for the first time in the day.

"Calling me Stefan is a great idea." he said, laughing.

"Only if you call me Elena." I said, laughing.

"I'll be back in a moment, Elena." he said, and entered a small room behind the reception. A couple of minutes later he came back with a leather jacket and a gift bag from some kind of toy store.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

I nodded to his question. I followed him until he stopped in front of a silver Jaguar. He opened the passenger door for me, as a perfect gentleman, just like his brother, and I entered.

We made the ride in silence. When I started to recognize the small village where Rosalyn Salvatore lived, Stefan suddenly took a different street than the one that would lead us to his mother's house. I looked at him with curiosity.

"I'm going to check something." he said.

He reduced drastically the speed as we passed by a small pub.

"Damon is at the birthday." he said. As I still looked confused, he added, "If he weren't, his car would be somewhere around the pub. This is the place where my brother usually goes when he's trying to get over something."

"What if he is not at the little girl's birthday?" I couldn't help asking.

"Then I have no idea where else he might be." he said, sighing. "But I really think he's there. The little girl's father, Paul Stone, has been Damon's best friend forever. I don't think he would miss Emma's birthday for nothing."

"I really wish you're right, Stefan." I said.

"I'm rooting for you, Elena. I really am." he said, smiling.

"Thank you." I murmured.

Stefan drove us back to the main street and turned on the street I recognized being the one that where his mother's house was. He passed by his mother's house and continued driving straight. He parked his car in front of a two-storey white house with others cars already parked next to it.

"Here we are." he said, jumping from the car.

I jumped from the car and joined him, walking through a small path around the house, leading to the backyard.

"Look." he said, pointing to something. My gaze followed his finger and I saw the black Mercedes I would be able to find anywhere now. I sighed with relief. Damon was here. He was probably only a few meters from here.

We kept walking until we got to a beautiful yard, filled with people talking joyfully in wooden tables and kids playing. A woman, probably in the end of her fifties, came to meet us.

"Stefan!" she said, joyfully. "How are you going?"

"I'm great, Mrs. Stone." he answered her.

"And who's this beautiful friend of yours?" she asked, looking at me.

"This is Elena Gilbert." he said.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Stone." I said politely.

"It's very nice to meet you too, Elena." she said, involving me into a hug. "I think you wanna see Emma now." she said, turning to face Stefan and staring suspiciously at the gift bag.

"I do wanna see the little one." Stefan said. "But actually I'm looking for Damon."

"Well, then you're killing two birds with a single stone." she said, laughing. "Your brother is right over there, with Emma. You know he's crazy about her."

I turned to see the place she was pointing at and saw a blonde little girl smiling joyfully. She was probably three years old, her curly hair falling to her tiny shoulders. Suddenly someone held her, turning around and making her laugh. I saw him holding the little girl at the same time he saw me. His face passed from disbelief to shock to see me, and then I saw the most beautiful smile on Damon's face. He walked towards me slowly. I tried to walk towards him to short the distance between us faster, but my legs were shaking too much to move.

"Damon." I murmured when he was close enough to hear me.

"Elena." he reached my face with his hand, holding Emma with the other. "I almost can't believe you're here."

* * *

**As I promised, here is the chapter. Thumbs up if you love Bonnie for giving Elena the right advice!**

**Guys, I can't believe didn't get at least ONE, at least a single review last chapter! I'm REALLY disappointed with you guys! Last chapter wasn't my favorite either, but come on, a few reviews wouldn't hurt!**

**I don't plan on taking more than a few days to post the next chapter, since it's basically ready in my mind, but if I don't get a very good number of reviews this chapter I'm going to take longer than I actually need to post the next one.**

**If you hate it, like it, or love it, REVIEW PLEASE!**


End file.
